F-1 - What’s Next for Cannabis and Opioids? Implications for Dentistry

Recreational marijuana is currently legal in 21 states and this trend is expected to continue. We will review the pharmacology of cannabis products and discuss oral effects and dental treatment ramifications for patients who frequently use cannabinoids.
Over promotion and over prescribing of opioids has contributed to the current public health emergency we face in the U.S. Dentists now write much less than 6% of acute use opioid prescriptions but generally prescribe very few tablets per prescription. To what extent are we contributing to the development of opioid substance use disorders and how can we modify our prescribing behaviors to minimize patient risk? We will outline specific strategies designed to maximizing the safety of prescribing opioids based on individual patient characteristics. Extensive and very current handouts will maximize the chairside value of this timely information.